Have your say to protect South Australia’s birds

Nature is in crisis in South Australia, with the state’s threatened birds showing average declines of over 90% since 1985 – the worst of any Australian State and Territory.

But after a groundswell of public support, change is near.

The SA Government are taking feedback on the State’s first ever Biodiversity Act. Comments closed 18th February 2025.

Together, we can secure a lasting future for South Australian birds.

Background:

The South Australian Government is in the process of developing the State’s first ever Biodiversity Act. These new policies can’t come soon enough, especially when it comes to South Australia’s birds.

The 2020 Threatened Bird Index shows that between 1985 and 2020, South Australia’s Threatened birds declined by over 90% on average, the worst of any Australian State or Territory (APAB 2020).

The current South Australian legislation is weak, for example the National Parks and Wildlife Act (1972) doesn’t even require biodiversity threats to be identified, let alone addressed. And while it officially recognises nearly 200 birds as Endangered, Vulnerable, or Rare – this list has not seen any updated listings for SA birds since the catastrophic Black Summer bushfires, which devastated unique ecosystems and regions, like Kangaroo Island.

But thanks in large part to everyday SA locals who submitted comments in 2024, the government had to deliver change. Our 2024 tool accounted for 30% of comments received by the Department – giving birds a powerful voice at that critical time.

Now it is important that the SA Government sees there is widespread community support for a strong Biodiversity Act, because they are getting push back from vested interests.

Comments on the SA Biodiversity Bill have now closed, but this doesn’t mean we don’t have actions for South Australians.

Help us tackle issues like making our beaches safe for all by getting uncontrolled drivers off precious beach habitat, or by signing out petition to end recreational native bird hunting in SA.

Photos: Pink Cockatoo by Daniel Venema;
Red-capped Plover chick by Geoff Gates